Significant Rise in Clinical Negligence Claims for Poor Maternity Care in London
July 11, 2011
Posted by:Ruth Hewitt
It has been reported that the number of clinical negligence claims brought for poor maternity care in London has increased considerably in the past year, costing the NHS a total of £41 million in compensation payouts. Claims have been brought on behalf of children that have suffered injuries including brain damage, cerebral palsy or developmental delay caused by negligent maternity care.
Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association has been quoted by the Evening Standard as saying, "NHS leaders need to acknowledge these complaints, take them seriously and work to improve these failings…If it's a systems failure then something needs to be done about it, but if it's because of staff shortages then this is incredibly worrying, especially as the NHS is facing making huge savings."
It was also reported that there has also been a rise of 20% in the number of complaints made to hospital trusts in 2009 and 2010.
One third of the lawsuits filed against London maternity units last year were reportedly brought against Barking, Haveridge and Redbrige University Hospital NHS Trust, which runs Queens Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Ilford. The Trust had already been told that improvements must be made to Queens Hospital maternity unit, after a Care Quality Commission report found significant failings.
The NHS has defended itself, saying that over 130,000 babies were born in London last year, and that the vast majority were happy and healthy occasions.